As summer turns to fall and the nation gets ready for some football, it makes sense to look at who the favorites are in the NFL to make the playoffs. The Detroit Lions hope they are one of those teams in 2012. Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson and Ndamukong Suh will need to bring their “A” game if that is going to happen.
Now forgive me for asking such before the majority of real games are even played, but as a fan of football I always like to try and predict the teams that become postseason bound. I know that somewhere Jim Mora would be turning red and pulling his hair at just the thought of the playoffs never mind having someone actually asking him the question.
In today’s world of 24/7 sports news and media fans are more plugged in than ever. Football fans in Detroit are proud of their Lions and were pleasantly surprised by the team’s quick turnaround last season. Not many people in the NFL or in the media expected the Lions to be playoff bound at this time last year, but that’s why they play the games I suppose.
There is no question that the Lions will have a tougher road this season than last, but based on the team’s 2011 performance anything is possible. It will be a rough path for the team from Motown in 2012 as the defending NFC north champions the Green Bay Packers will be hungry to bounce back from failing in their Super Bowl title defense in 2011. The Lions match-ups against the Chicago Bears will be vitally important as many so-called experts are predicting the Bears to be the better team in 2012.
Whatever the case may be the Lions will have some work to do in 2012. Does anybody think that the team really cares that most people are picking them to miss the playoffs this season?
If anything, this is where Detroit is used to being. The team and city are used to playing the role of underdog and that is why they have a chip on their shoulders.
Nobody thought the Lions could make the playoffs in 2011, but they did. Would it surprise any football fans if Detroit does return to the postseason? We will have to wait and see, but I would not count the Lions out.
